34: The Story So Far

Last Monday was my 34th birthday. I haven't posted since, for a number of reasons, most of which have to do with sloth, to be honest. It's been an interesting experience, though, - here's what I've been up to:

On my birthday, I got lost. Knowing that I'm a runner, one of the Lutheran Center students recommended the Iowa State YMCA Outdoor Center for a good run. Was she ever right. I just went out for an easy jog and wound up deep in the woods and hoping I was following the trail back OUT of the woods. Granted, the Outdoor Center only covers a few acres, but if you get going in the wrong direction the trees do run along a valley for several miles. The good news is that I know what I'm doing for the next time: I'm going to cover Peggy's Trail, a 2.14 mile trail that is clearly marked though their land. Even with getting lost, it was a COOL run, and I'm always glad to add new routes for running.

All in all, it was a good birthday: we stayed home, had fun around the house, I got some work done organizing our stuff that needed doing, I got in an awesome 5 mile run, and had steak for supper. Life was good!

Tuesday, I got the bird. As I was leaving the Lutheran Center around 5:30 on Tuesday, a car came zooming up Gable Lane and nearly hit me. Granted, I maybe could have looked more closely, but all in all, I was glad no one actually hit anyone. Not so for the driver of the other car. Since it was a nice day, we both had our windows down, so I could clearly hear him as he raised his right fist, popped up his middle finger and shouted, "Fuck you!" Then he floored his accelerator and zoomed away.

Now, I'm normally a pretty reasonable guy. I'm willing to admit when I make mistakes. I like to think that even when I'm not at fault, I'm willing to bear the mistakes of others graciously. But for some reason, that just pissed me off. I never understood the "weaving in and out of traffic throwing things" level of road rage until that moment. My heart rate climbed, I broke out in a cold sweat, and I was MAD. "Fuck me? No, no, my friend: FUCK YOU." So, being the rational, kind, non-confrontive person I am, I promptly changed my direction and took off after him. Not recklessly, mind you, but definitely in haste. About a mile later, I pulled up behind him at a red light, and by that point I'm thinking, "What are you going to do now?" It apears the answer was "nothing," as I just turned away and headed for home. I guess I wanted the guy to realize you can't just DO stuff like that and expect to get away with it. Except that he did, and all I wound up accomplishing was getting home late for dinner. Apparently older doesn't mean wiser for me, huh?

Wednesday, I got locked out. Went out for an eight mile run in the morning, and while I was out, my beloved packed up Ainsley and went out to run some errands. I got back to the house at 10:00 and realized I couldn't get in - we haven't hidden a spare key anywhere just yet. So, since the garage was open, as was the tool shed, I spent the next 90 minutes pruning bushes, cutting 2x4s for the new shelves in the tool shed, and sweeping the garage floor, all while waiting for Kris to come home. Yeah, that was exciting. It threw off my day so badly that I missed our last Campus Ministers' meeting of the year - grrrr. The spare will be made and hidden sometime this week, trust me.

On Sunday I enjoyed my first "just a guy going to church" Sunday in nearly five years. Since campus ministry here doesn't worship on Sundays in the summer, I was free to attend worship at our congregation like any other father with his family. It was great. Ainsley stayed in the nursery, so Kris and I actually got to listen to the sermon and pay attention during the service, a first for me in a long time. Good stuff, that. In the afternoon Kris took a nice long nap (the only thing she said she wanted for Mother's Day) while Ainsley and I took a good long walk around the neighborhood. That night I tried a new meal: fajitas on the grill. Worked great, and it was so nice we even ate outside.

Yesterday? Not so nice. Woke up feeling a bit "off,"but I figured if I had a bowl of cereal and my usual cup of coffee I'd be fine. I've started a practice of devotional reading in the mornings, with Bonhoeffer's Discipleship being my first book, and I went downstairs thinking "You've got two hours to 'get right' before you go to the gym. No problem." Uhh, no - BIG problem. By 8:30 I was achy, feverish and freezing, with stomach cramps to boot. What really sucks is that Kristin had been signed up to sub for three water aerobics courses yesterday morning, and I had to call her back after only one of them, as I was in no position to properly care for a toddler. So, she had a real "Mother's Day" yesterday: entertain the child, do the laundry and basically run the house while Daddy promptly threw up breakfast and spent most of the day sleeping or watching TV. Not fun at all. Thankfully, it appears to be a 24 hour bug, if it's a bug at all - today I'm feeling much better, and no one else appears sick at all. Time will tell, I guess, but it certainly wasn't the day I thought it would be.

Well, there you have it: A Week in the Life. As you were.